Testimony of Ruth de Visser

 

The LORD reigns!

Introduction

The reason I am standing here is to share the testimony of Ruth. This is because of her explicit request. She asked me this personally and I said yes. She made her wishes clear and I quote her: “My desire is that during the farewell service the gospel will be proclaimed, that Christ will be central and that He will receive the honor.” Ruth listened to and corrected the text of this speech on April 30 and May 5, and at her request I revised the text in accordance with her opinion. Certain things that I will mention about the period after May 5 I added myself. Often I will quote Ruth literally. I only want to be her mouthpiece. You may forget me completely. Perhaps some parts will seem a bit like a documentary.

Ruth was born on 20 December 1986 in Vlissingen. When aunt Keetje looked at Ruth in the baby carriage (pram), she noticed that she had a dimple in her right cheek. She always had a dimple whenever she laughed.

On the birth announcement Nelie, my wife, and I chose the verse: ‘the LORD reigneth’ (Ex. 15:18), taken from the song of triumph after the majestic passage through the Red Sea, when Israel was pursued by the Egytians.

After Esther we were immensely glad with our second daughter Ruth! Later our joy was doubled by the birth of Isaäk and Maria.

I would like to illuminate the life of Ruth, the good 20 years, by way of eight aspects. May I call them marks of her short life? I would like to conclude by quoting a short letter, written about nine hours before her death. The title I would like to give this testimony is: THE LORD REIGNETH.

1. DETERMINATION

On June 2, 1987 Ruth was dedicated to the Lord in a meeting where br. Golsworthy shared a short message. Br. Golsworthy was a British missionary who, together with his wife had experienced much. They had survived a Japanese concentration camp in the 2nd World War. They labored in India and the Philippines, among other countries. He was also a friend of Sidney Wilson, a well-known Bible teacher in the Netherlands.

He spoke among other things on Ruth 1:16,17. Ruth in the Bible was determined not to turn back to her country when she saw what was God’s way for her. In those verses it says: ‘But Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. The LORD do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me.” ’

Br. Golsworthy stated (we still do have a tape of this message): ‘In our prayers we plead for Ruth, that she will not turn back from the light which she may one day receive.’

Ruth made choices. She knew what she wanted. From her childhood onwards you could read that on the expressions of her face, even as a toddler.

When she was 7 years old she made a clear choice for the Lord Jesus. Ruth said recently: ‘When I was 7 years old I gave my heart to the Lord. Because when Dennis (a friend of us from California) visited us, he said that he was 7 years old when he believed. Then I thought: I’m also 7. This choice was very conscious and very real. It was a turning-point in my life.’

In the summer of 1999 she made a decision to follow Christ. She was 12 years old at that time. During a conference-week in Paris with young people from the Netherlands, France, Spain and the United States—some are present here right now—she says about this: ‘I no longer want to walk in the footsteps of my parents; I want to follow Christ myself.’

2. THE LOVE OF CHRIST

Ruth had a broad range of interests and she had many talents.

She loved to play piano; she would have loved to play here now herself. On May 3 she gave a mini-concert at Streekziekenhuis Walcheren, the hospital in Vlissingen.

She was very creative. On the first floor of our house she made a small, but very homey room for herself, out of a built-in cupboard and some storage space. After a few months she gave it to Isaäk, which was a real sacrifice for her. This was the motive for us to make some structural alterations on our house and add two dormer windows.

She made designs for flyers.

The design of the front of the notification of death is Ruth’s own choice. It is one of Rembrandt’s etchings, showing the immense suffering of the Lord Jesus in Gethsemane, while an angel of God supports Him and strengthens Him. This illustration really spoke to her and strengthened her during her suffering.

She had a good taste for clothes and colors. I personally asked her advice.

Ruth had a good intellect. After high school at Calvin College in Goes she chose to study Dutch and Literature science at the university in Leiden.

It meant working hard for her, but she was extremely motivated. She had a wonderful time there. We saw as parents that she became more mature. But it also was a very tough time for her. Her health was a limitation and it was not until the beginning of her second year in Leiden that her serious illness was discovered.

She writes about this time to some friends: ‘My life of almost 20 years is still in the initial phase. I have lived and studied for over a year now in Leiden and have learned to plant my roots in Christ. Because He is a source that never dries up, I can stand. That’s what I experience.’

In the same letter: ‘Because of this illness I am seeing everything much more in the light of eternity. I have already started to share the gospel, and I would like to urge you all not to keep silent about it!’

She very much wanted to share what she had experienced about the love of God with others.

During her study in Leiden, she sometimes went to a cemetery, where it was nice and quiet.

There she could concentrate to study. What was written on the tombstones was not very inspiring, until she saw a stone inscribed with the words: ‘They were certain of the love of Christ’.

This spoke to her very much.

3. DIRECTED TOWARDS OTHERS

Ruth had a network of contacts. We only learned this, to our great surprise, during her illness. This included:

The STEG-assembly, Foundation of Evangelical Assembly in Leiden. Br. Theo Dikkes, who is leading this service is one of the elders there. She saw it as her home-church and she also took part in the activities; it was only 200 m walking distance from her room.

Then NSL — Navigators Student society Leiden, many of whom are present here, as you will find out shortly.

Further contacts from primary school, Calvin College, youth from Middelburg and surroundings.

Even contacts in France, England and the United States, some of whom are present here right now, as I mentioned already.

When her illness became known, spontaneously prayer meetings were organized.

When people came to visit her, she asked: ‘How’s your study, work, school, etc.’ She was always focused on others. She was not taken up or occupied with herself.

In the hospital (Streekziekenhuis Walcheren and Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam) she made new contacts with the doctors and the nursing staff. She was very thankful for them. As an exception I would like to mention hematologist/internist Dr. Wielenga. Ruth had an unusually good relationship with this doctor. The nursing staff in Vlissingen showed a sincere sympathy.

Ruth experienced this as very unusual. The enormous devotion under the inspiring leadership of Dr. Wielenga was most precious and encouraging for Ruth and also for us as a family.

4. KNOWING GOD

On April 24 this year Ruth said: ‘I have found out that the only way to really know God is through Christ; there is no other way.’

Among the huge amount of mail that arrived, was a card from a friend of Ruth from Leiden. This friend wrote: ‘You are for me the living evidence that God exists.’ We don’t know who this friend is, but we do have the card. (Note: after the service she made herself known to us.)

In some of her letters the depth of her life with Christ is evident. The intensity of her suffering is probably most apparent in her letters. I will leave that. She was very open in this.

Later I will come back to this and read a short letter.

5. CHRIST AS CENTRE

As I said at the beginning: Ruth wanted Christ to be central in her funeral service.

She says: Through suffering I have become interwoven with Christ. I don’t feel (like) a good Christian at all. Others, without knowing this, said to me: ‘You radiate Christ.’

6. FAITH AND TRUST

Ruth said: ‘During my illness I did have periods in which I asked myself, Where is God?’ I thought, ‘He doesn’t do anything.’ But that’s not the issue. It’s all about putting your trust in Christ.’ She lived by faith. She had vision about God’s plan with her life. When she was reading her Bible, portions spoke to her tremendously.

7. OBEDIENCE

She says: ‘I was able to go this difficult way because you as parents taught me obedience as part of my upbringing. Without that it would never have been possible to endure my illness in this way.’ She accepted the suffering and was purified by it. She said: ‘I took it upon myself to go this way.’ And time and again, as parents, we have seen her making choices, very consciously.

8. PEACE AND JOY

She kept a good spirit, although she did have tough moments and periods. In our e-mails and news we’ve tried to put this into words. On April 28 she said: ‘I do have such peace, it’s almost too much. Never before did I have peace like this.’ The next day she says: ‘During the whole of my illness I experienced little or nothing of God. Only now that I know that I will not recover, that I am going to die, do I experience such peace and joy which I have never experienced before. During my illness I sought it and didn’t find it. April 30: ‘I even hadn’t expected it any more. It seemed normal to me that if you have to suffer so severely, that you would be able to feel the ‘carrying’ of God. In this expectation I was disappointed.’ ‘Perhaps many of your questions will remain unanswered, but I myself found in this peace and joy the answer. In this peace I die. As a result of this surprise of peace and joy, now things are just so dramatic, I no longer am asking those questions.’ Ruth to Esther on May 3: ‘Yesterday before going to sleep I experienced such deep joy. Now I already experience such happiness and joy — it’s almost too much to me. Soon in heaven this only will increase. Then I thought: Therefore I am the happiest person on earth.’

These were 8 aspects of the life of Ruth: determination, the love of Christ, directed towards others, knowing God, Christ as centre, faith and trust, obedience, peace and joy. May I call them characteristics of her life?

Now I would like to read a letter to a close friend of Ruth, written about 9 hours before her passing away. I do this with the consent of this friend.

Vlissingen, May 14, 2007

Dear M.,

I don’t know how long will be given to me on earth. I’m afraid that it’s shorter than we expect. Life and death are so close to one another, I’ve experienced. This confuses me a little and makes me make haste. I didn’t tell you yet how much you have meant to me. I think that with your qualities of rest and love you will be able to mean something to many others as well. Focus your attention on others. But keep in step with God. Take up your cross and follow Christ. That is the highest calling. It’s not an easy road, but you will notice that you will change inwardly in such a way that you don’t want to go back. Go with God, dear M.. Love, Ruth.

In closing: things didn’t go as we had thought and maybe even expected. Many, many have prayed for Ruth and for her situation. But what stands irrefutable for Ruth and for us as a family is: THE LORD REIGNETH (Ex. 15:18).

God is faithful and His plans don’t fail! There are no mistakes made in heaven. The Bible says in Ps. 18:31: God’s way is perfect. Amen.

Thanks for your attention.

Simon de Visser

Middelburg, May 19 2007

idv © 2007 www.ruthdevisser.nl